You’ve probably heard at least one story about a family physician who spent thousands of dollars on an electronic medical records system with all the bells and whistles only to find that it didn’t perform the necessary functions or that no one could figure out how to use it.

To help family physicians select EMR systems well suited to their practices, the AAFP recently brought together a group of physicians and EMR experts to define criteria for evaluating EMR products. The group – the Ad Hoc Committee on Electronic Medical Records – created a list of EMR features they considered to be “family-physician friendly.” They then divided the list into “basic,” “advanced” and “optional” features, recognizing that many practices initially buy basic EMR systems and later add features to increase functionality. Adding features over time simplifies the initial implementation process and spreads out the cost.

A brief excerpt from the list of criteria for evaluating EMR systems appears below. The Ad Hoc committee recommends that potential buyers do a thorough needs assessment before consulting the list. (For more information on initial planning for conversion to an EMR system, see “Selecting and Implementing an EHR.”)

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING EMR SYSTEMS

Too often, family physicians purchase electronic medical records (EMR) systems and are disappointed with their performance. To help physicians better evaluate EMR products before they buy, the AAFP Ad Hoc Committee on Electronic Medical Records created a list of criteria that EMR systems should have in order to be “family-physician friendly.” A portion of the list appears below.

GENERAL FEATURES

Basic

Offers structured data entry for medication, diagnoses and orders.

Allows integration of the EMR system with scheduling and billing systems.

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